The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-04-10

they we're carried there on a charge
of murder and arson an exciting in
cident occurred on the steamer. AS
they neared their destination on the
Mississippi river Kisssne's counsel,
a Cincinnati lawyer named Thuragar,
was on board. So was Sydney Burton,
then in the full tide of his revenge
seeking. Burton suspe cted plot to
liberate the prisoners, and noticing
the lawyer endaavoring to enter their
cabin surreptiIiously. he advanced on
him with two drawn Derringers, say
ing: 1 will blow your brains out if L
catch you near here again, upon
which the lawyer vanished.
While the prisoners were In Hell
ena Jail he claimed that another plot
to liberate them was discovered.
There appeared to be plenty Of money
and outside confederates. Burton
and some officers waited at gate Of
the Jail yard hoping to catch them as
they went out. BY some means his
presence was discovered. When they
searched the premises the confeder-
ates were found"
MURDERS AND ATTEMPTED MUIR
DERS.
The prisoners we're acquitted, aud
Mr.. Eddy stated that he has in his
possession newspaper clippings fro m
Helena and other Arkansas papers
that we're given him by Burton thir-
ty-three years ago. They all express
surprise and regret at the action of
the jury. The Helena paper said:
Justice in Arkansas was prostituted
and the fair name of the State was
laid low"
The prisoners returned exultingly
to Ohio. They swore revenge on
all who opposed them. The untime-
ly death of witnesses occurred lone
after another. Burton's residence
at Ohio City was blown up, and an
attempt was made to blow him up
in railway train. He left his seat
for moment, when an explosion oc-
Cured that shattered the seat which
he had occupied.
The gang dispersed, but Burton
followed some of them to Madison,
Wis, where an attempt was made on
his life.
One day in New York he met Mrs.
Capt. Cummings, the wife Of the
skipper of the Martha Washington,
on Fulton street. She requested an
interview, and wished him to accom-
pany her to a designated place. He
was suspicious, and noticing several
men who appeared to be in commun-
ication with her attempted to get
away. The men approached threat
eningly. He stepped in a doorway
and drew a revolver. The whole
party were taken to the station
house. When the prisoners we're
searched they we're found to have
pistols and bowie knives; even Mrs.
Cummings was armed.
THE MARTHA WASHINGTON CON-
sPIRACY.
Mr.. Eddy was shown some of the
published accounts Of the Martha
Washington conspiracy, so called, re-
ferred to in the interview with Mr..
i. S. Fairbanks in the Herald of
yesterday.
"The whole matter hinges on that
case" Mr.. Eddy said. "Burton's
home was in Ohio City, near Cleve-
land, but he did business in different
places. When the Martha Wash
ington was to start for New Orleans
on her fatal voyage, Burton shipped
through the firm of Filley & Chaplin,
OF Cincinnati, sheepskins to the value
of $4,000. He assured me that the
skins were removed surreptitiously
before the steamer sailed, and re-
turned to the warehouse OF Filley.
The latter was one of the twelve con-
spirators-as Burton termed them
who loaded the steamer with a bogus
cargo for the purpose OF detraudlng
the insurance companies. The twelve
persons were mainly from highly re-
spectacle families. Strange to say,
there were four women concerned. a
The strangest part of Burton's
story was that regular gang OF III
surauce obtainers was organized IN
the West out of the begipning Of the
twelve Martha Washington con-
spirators. Enormous resources were
at its command for time. Bloody
oaths and penalties, by which the
members were bound together, were
established. Many of the parties
were brought to justice through
Burtons agency. Prosecuting no
other parties but these, thwartiug
them in their defense5, testifying in
court against the character OF their
witnesses, many of whom were edu-
Gated, we'll to do gentleman. and
harassing them by all legitimate
, means, Burton gathered around him
a storm OF indignation that not one
, man in thousand could have with
stood for an hour.
POISON EFFECTS IT'S PURPOSE.
ELEVEN times he informed me,
( said Mr.. Eddy, he had food anal
wed that was set before him under
suspicious circumstances, and In
, number of instances poison was
found. He received anonymous
threatening letters without number
stating that his life would pay Tor
: his pursuit of the conspirators. L
will say Tor him that his sole object
in life was to carry his end, and he
T pursued his strange career with
. genius, strength, a devotion, self
sacrifice and true heroism that was
unequaled. At length he fell a
a victim to his hobby, il | may so call
it.
mot long before his death one OF
+, the band was in prison at Burton's
! instigation awaiting preliminary ex-
p animation. He sent for Burton
= and offered him large sum II he
q would desst. Burton replied that
! he had previously been Offered a
larger sum and that the same reason
I that inclined him to reject the former
: would compel him to decline TINS
! offer, when the man offered him, as
= an additional inducement, One-half
i of the money taken from the messen-
i ger of the Newport (R. L. } Bank who
. was robbed on the way to Providence
to redeem bills at the Merchants